More Ohioans take advantage of Ohio’s gun law as it turns 10

Debbie Cunningham has been around firearms most of her life. She used to shoot cows in the rear for fun growing up.

But it wasn’t until she was robbed that she considered obtaining her concealed carry license.

Cunningham, her daughter and six others sat around two tables in the back room of Faith Fellowship Church’s office in Johnstown, just east of Columbus, on a sunny Saturday evening. They were winding down their 12-hour class, and several were showing signs of sunburn from their two hours at the firing range earlier in the day.

NRA-certified instructor Andy Burcham, a U.S. Marine and former bouncer, spoke with the authority of someone who has trained snipers for years and knows how to wield a pistol.

“What’s the difference between cover and concealment?”

The former will stop a bullet; the latter will not.

“So, where do you hide if someone with a gun is coming?”

“Behind a car,” offered Cheryl Sibert, of Johnstown.

Maybe. Maybe not. Hiding behind a car will conceal you from an attacker, but only an engine or tire will protect you if the person fires, Burcham said.

Sibert took the class because she works in Columbus and lives in Licking County.

“I really feel like I need it more in Columbus,” Sibert said.

Both of her children already have their permits.

The biggest thing she learned was how to hold the pistol. There was a learning curve on unlocking the firearm, too — people without their concealed carry permits must lock them up while driving — but those are the skills she came to learn, Sibert said.

Burcham said his pupils’ experience ranges from people who have never touched a gun to skilled hunters and U.S. Navy SEALS. Seven of the eight students that Saturday were women, and that’s a trend Burcham is noticing in his classes.

Burcham tries to use practical examples in his class to keep students engaged and dispel myths created by television shows.

“Unfortunately, most education on guns come from TV,” he said.

But those aren’t the best examples of how to hold a gun or stand when firing.

Burcham showed his students a video clip of a firearm instructor who accidentally shot himself in the leg during a class. Most mistakes happen when a person is unaware or careless. That instructor was the latter.

It’s especially important to Burcham, who has seen the effects firsthand.

“I had a friend killed in Iraq. Friendly fire. I’ve seen this happen,” Burcham said.

By the end of the class, students were presented with a 40-plus question quiz. With time and a little collaboration, they recalled the difference between a misfire and a hangfire and whether the barrel was in the front or rear of the pistol.

They left with the education needed to obtain a concealed carry permit. However, Burcham encourages his students to be lifelong learners by keeping up their skills and reading about changes in the law.

“You’ve just learned the bare minimum today,” he said.

Records concealed

Should records of who can carry a concealed handgun be as accessible as traffic tickets or as confidential as medical records?

Currently, Ohio law allows only journalists to inspect records of concealed handgun licensees’ name, county of residence and date of birth if they submit written documentation to the local sheriff specifying their request is in the public’s best interest. Reporters cannot receive copies of the licenses or copy down the information themselves, according to the Ohio Revised Code.

Other residents cannot access the information at all.

Police officers have access to information about whether an individual has a concealed handgun license. Ohio law also requires a person with a license to inform law enforcement if they have a firearm on their person during an encounter with police.

Access to information about concealed carry licensees was not always that strict. Gov. Bob Taft required journalists to have access to the records before signing the 2004 concealed handgun law.

Shortly after, at least one newspaper printed the names of every person with a concealed handgun license in the counties it covered, which upset gun lobbyists and owners.

“This posting of our names and info not only betrayed the law-abiding citizens who have gone through the proper training and background checks, but now also puts us in danger,” one man wrote in a letter to the Buckeye Firearm Association.

In 2007, a law took effect to restrict journalists from copying information about concealed handgun license holders. Now, Sen. Joseph Uecker, R-Dayton, has introduced a bill to eliminate any access journalists have to the records.

“You, as a journalist should, not be able to look inside what’s in my house. So why should you have a right to look at list of concealed handgun licenses anymore than you have a right to find out I’m a member at this church or support this charity?” asked Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association.

Toby Hoover, founder of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said access to the records is too limited and doesn’t allow anyone to check the effectiveness of concealed carry licenses.

Investigations by The South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Indianapolis Star revealed people with extensive criminal records were still allowed to carry concealed records; similar investigations in Ohio would likely be hampered by strict restrictions on access to records.

However, Irvine said there’s no evidence Ohio sheriffs are not operating efficiently and effectively in handling concealed handgun licenses.